Our Bike is too dependable.

[Yama Mama]

It turns out that our bike is too dependable. Ron does normal maintenance on it and we ride it. It starts up and rides so nice always. Of course, I guess we are spoiled. Just assume it is going to run perfectly every time. Well, this past Sunday we found out our bike is getting older. We started out on a ride and about 2 miles from home Ron could not shift. We stopped and he took the cover off the clutch fluid bowl and surprise no fluid in there at all. I looked on the tank and it did still say Venture, so we were on the right bike.

So Ron got us home in second gear and when we think that we were headed to Indiana, we were lucky. It would have been a really long ride home in second gear. We have been lucky, we have just been spoiled. It has been such a great bike, we sure cannot complain about it starting to show it's age. Hopefully, we will be back on the road soon.

Yama Mama

[slowrollwv]

I usually check my fluids twice a year. Once in the spring and then mid summer. Change the fluid every other winter.

[BlueSky]

A few years ago, I rode my 2004 Kawasaki Concours home from work with a non-working clutch due to the same problem. I started it in neutral and with the help of a slight downgrade got it moving, then kicked it down to first. After that, it was easy to match the engine rpm with the gears and change gears while riding. There were 4 stop signs on the way home, but I was lucky and was able to roll through all of them without stopping, just had to downshift. A little risky but achievable. If I had to stop, I would have choked off the engine by braking and hopefully repeated the process. That bike weighed about 675 lbs, so it was no light weight. And it is the most top heavy bike on the road I'm sure with that 7.5 gallon gas tank up top.

[mini-muffin]

I know Ron will get her running right and you'll be back on the road again. Glad you made it home ok.

 

Margaret

[Flyinfool]

Glad it all worked out well. As mentioned above, these bikes can be shifted without using the clutch if you need to.

 

Hmmmmmmm sounds like another item to be added to the "normal" maintenance.

 

There are sight glasses on the reservoirs for the clutch and front brake. It takes all of about 2 seconds to visually see if the fluid is at the correct level each and every time you ride. I even glance at those once in a while while riding.

 

If the fluid was empty, that means you have a leak, It will not be as simple as fill it up and bleed it. Be careful, the brake fluid the the clutch uses will destroy any paint or plastic it touches. Cover everything while working on this and then when done immediately hose the bike off good with the garden hose to remove any brake fluid that might of got somewhere you did not notice.

[rbig1]

Well you never saw any fluid leaking, did a hose let go. Squirt oil out when clutch pulled other wise would think you would see oil. Factory lines on it?

[WildBill1]

Yea, those Yamaha ventures are dependable. Too boring for me had to go out get something to do found me a Harley didn't, want to loose all my mechanical skills.

[Yammer Dan]

Didn't Ron tell you to take care of that??? Yeah getting old Lady. While you are polishing you should check those sight glasses......:Happy Birthday:

[Yama Mama]

[/font]=Yammer Dan;939003]Didn't Ron tell you to take care of that??? Yeah getting old Lady. While you are polishing you should check those sight glasses......:Happy Birthday:

 

Dan, you silly. I had on my sight glasses! By the way, the part has not come yet. Still on bike to ride. Missing all this beautiful fall colors.

 

Yama Mama

[Marcarl]

I got a spare sitting here,, all it needs is a license and insurance,,, and oh, a new battery.

[cowpuc]

I got a spare sitting here,, all it needs is a license and insurance,,, and oh, a new battery.

 

Funny you bring that up @Marcarl,, Tippy just walked in the backroom with a BRAND NEW package of French Roast Coffee and said "look what I got,, now the next time one of your buddies comes to spend a night and ask for Coffee we are all set". So I told her that you had a spare bike you didnt want to put pictures up of and that you probably would ride it here to show us just so you could get a cup of real coffee..

 

Know what cha mean Mama, our Venture keeps going and going and going and going (should a named it E.B. for energizer bunny).. Poor thing just wont give it up.. They are truly remarkable machines arent they sister!

Havent heard if Ron figured out the clutch fluid loss problem? May be a slave cylinder seal leak. That is not that uncommon on these and other hydraulic clutch systems.. Please tell him all the best in the repair!

[djh3]

Something like that can if its a seal or something "just go bad". but my weekly sort of check list is fluids (brake/clutch) tire pressures and tire condition (did I find a nail or something) and a once around. Brake fluid is cheap enough and with speed bleeders easy enough I have been changing the brake fluid & clutch every year I think.

[Yammer Dan]

What did you buy Mama?? It probally just needed flushed and bled but Ron should know. And waiting on parts is a good one to keep things quiet.... Sorry Ron.

[Yama Mama]

New slave cylinder has arrived. Supposed to rain tomorrow. What up with that? Oh well, Sunday is going to be nice. At any rate, our dependable bike will be back to her old ways again.

 

Yama Mama

[Flyinfool]

Tomorrow can be put the bike back together day then go for a Sunday ride.

[Yama Mama]

I think that is a plan for sure. May suggest we start checking other little items on the bike that could be in need of replacing. She is 16 years old now. Poor baby.

 

Yama Mama

[Flyinfool]

Still a youngster.

[Yama Mama]

Flyinfool, you mean me or the bike? Hehehe, I think of her that way. However, when some one compliments are bike, Ron always says "It's old!". I am afraid to here what he says about me.

Yama Mama

[Flyinfool]

Both of course.......

[Yammer Dan]

Changed fluids lately? Easy to forget!! And think about hoses. Time for Steel Braided? I got a list....

[cowpuc]

Flyinfool, you mean me or the bike? Hehehe, I think of her that way. However, when some one compliments are bike, Ron always says "It's old!". I am afraid to here what he says about me.

Yama Mama

 

Both of course.......

 

Changed fluids lately? Easy to forget!! And think about hoses. Time for Steel Braided? I got a list....

 

:think::think: Now you lop eared varmints got me alllllllll :scratchchin::scratchchin::think: Do we be talking about fixin up Mama or da scoot bro? I get the fluid changing and hoses but what would she do with steel braids,,, wouldnt those be dangerous around a hair dryer cause lectricty might get er?

[Marcarl]

:think::think: Now you lop eared varmints got me alllllllll :scratchchin::scratchchin::think: Do we be talking about fixin up Mama or da scoot bro? I get the fluid changing and hoses but what would she do with steel braids,,, wouldnt those be dangerous around a hair dryer cause lectricty might get er?

 

Only if somebody lets the smoke out of them wires,, other than that it just gets HOT!!!

[cowpuc]

Only if somebody lets the smoke out of them wires,, other than that it just gets HOT!!!

 

Even if one of them steel things accidently gets pushed into the dryer like normal hair sometimes does?? Seems like I heard once that under certain circumstances lectricy can sneak around its smoke covering and get cha before the wires start leaking their smoke....

[Yama Mama]

I do not have any steel braids boys. I stopped wearing those during the last thunderstorm we had. I do not need to be a human lightening rod. I always wanted an electric personality but that would be too much.

Yama Mama

[Marcarl]

I'm not just to sure what you would mean by 'electric personality' so I won't comment on that,,, could be, just maybe that I would get me self into some serious kaka if I did comment, but the steel thing does juggle some inside thoughts, and I'm not sure if I should share them presently.